Waterman Expert Rollerball Pen, Gloss Black with 23k Gold Trim, Fine Point, Black Ink, Luxury Pen in Gift Box, Great Gift for Coworker

Like most Waterman's, this is a stunning pen. I've had a number of Waterman's over the past 20 years, starting with the first one I bought in Paris at the Gibert Jeune store near the Notre Dame, and have been using them ever since. This particular model, though retaining essentially the exact same physical shape and style of the "Expert" series that have been sold for all these years, is different because it is made of brushed stainless steel with gold accents. Gold accents are no stranger to Waterman's, of course, but it is the brushed stainless steel--which varies between a highly elegant and a slightly used look, depending on what angle you see it at--is just delightful. It's classical in every sense of the word. Most Waterman's use a highly polished body, but this model forgoes that approach to use the brushed steel look, which really crosses the line between dressy and casual. Don't get me wrong: this is an elegant looking pen, one that you can take to any setting, but that brushing gives the pen an almost "worn" look that just makes it stand out. The photos here of the pen are accurate, but you can't easily get the full impact of the pen's looks until you see it in person. I highly recommend it.Note:As many "pen people" know, refills for these pens, including Waterman, Mont Blanc, etc., can be hideously expensive. What's not so openly said, though, is that the Japanese Pentel G2 pen refills are often more pleasant to use than the German-made ones, and, get this, they only cost about two dollars each.It's the first thing I did when I got my Waterman (which I still purchase because it remains made in France) is to remove the cartridge and replace it with the G2 refill, and it's a great writing experience. The one you want for this pen is Pilot G2 Gel Ink Refill, 2-Pack for Rolling Ball Pens, Fine Point, Blue Ink (77241)

This pen is perfectly balanced, well made, writes so smoothly, and is hands down the best pen I have ever had. I was thrilled to find it at this price. This one is a replacement- I have owned three others, and they keep 'disappearing.' This one will stay in my purse when not using instead of being left on my desk.

I've had probably a dozen of these Expert black with gold trim rollerball pens over 20 years, typically buying 2-3 at a time since I seem to lose one every year or two. Mont Blancs just seem too old-fashioned and snobby to me. I first saw a doctor writing with an Expert 2o years ago, and it looked so handsome I knew this would be my signature pen forever. "Handsome" is the right word since this pen is "masculine" in size. It's 5 1/2" long closed, 6" long opened, and 1/2" in diameter, so it's not for tiny hands or those who like light pens. For those, the Waterman slimmer "Perspective" or "Exception" or "Hemisphere" collections may be more appropriate. It operates like a fountain pen - you pull off the cap (top part in picture) and click it down onto the base (bottom part in picture) to write. You unscrew the two bottom parts to put in a refill.Expert: "Expert" is one of ten 10 Waterman pen collections. "Charleston" is the next closest in style if you want to compare an alternative. There are 3 generations of Experts. The 1st generation ("Expert I") in the '90s had a plastic barrel and a "W" on the gold top insert. The 2nd generation (Expert II 2002-2011) went with a brass barrel (much better) - you'll know it's brass if you get a good scratch on it - and no "W". The 3rd generation (2012+) only made a small change to the middle gold ring, which is how you can tell the 3rd generation from the 2nd. The 2nd generation middle had two thin gold rings embracing a larger black section with "Waterman Paris" in gold on it. The 3rd generation upper gold ring is thicker than the bottom one, and the "Waterman Paris" is embossed on that gold ring instead of the black barrel in the middle of the rings. So the picture shown is the current generation. You'll see "Expert II" and "Expert III" in descriptions, but "Expert II" is often used for the current generation also, so go by the look of the middle barrel rings.Color: The "GT" and "CT" in the descriptions mean "Gold Trim" or "Chrome Trim" respectively, i.e., the clip, top end, and rings around the barrel. So you can get the exact style above with Chrome trim instead of Gold if you prefer. But if you want a barrel color other than black, you have to go with one of the Stainless Steel or Chrome Trim variations.Rollerball: Like most all their collections, the Expert comes in fountain, ballpoint or rollerball versions. I like the convenience of rollerball vs. fountain and the feel of rollerball vs. ballpoint, so rollerball is my pick. Rollerballs use liquid ink that almost "wicks" out onto the paper, while ballpoints use a different "waxy" ink that you have to "push" out. This is why: 1) rollerballs feel smoother writing; 2) rollerballs often have a cap to prevent the tip from drying out; 3) rollerball refills come with a little wax seal on their tip you have to knock off.Ink: Waterman rollerball refills come in Fine or Medium and Black or Blue. My most recent ones came with Fine black ink. "Fine" is usually too scratchy and thin for me, but these write almost like a Medium ... very similar to Pilot G2 pens. Speaking of that, you can pay $7 for Waterman refills, or just buy Pilot G2 rollerball pens for $1 and pull out their refills like I do ... they fit perfectly and I can tell no difference in writing quality. Plus you can then get the G2 ink in any color you want, not just black or blue. Or you can look up Monteverde or Schmidt refills for a few bucks less that are what Waterman and others rebrand. 4 1/4 - 4 3/8 long refills. Uniquely, Schmidt has a Broad point version in addition to Fine and Medium.Pencil: There is no matching pencil or rollerball-pen-and-pencil set for the Expert in this style. There is a ballpoint-pen-and-pencil Expert set, but the ballpoint version is less stylish as it doesn't have the gold rings and undulations towards the tip. So if you want a matching set, you have to go with the ballpoint for the pen. If you're ok with a somewhat-matching pencil, you can find the ballpoint-style version online searching under "Waterman S0951720". I don't think Waterman sells even these separately ... I think vendors just break up the ballpoint-pen-and-pencil sets.Personalization: You can buy these from a seller who also personalizes them. "Personalization" can be: 1) a gold imprint on the side (like your signature maybe); 2) an engraved emblem or monogram on the gold clip or the gold top. Not cheap ... probably another $100.Warranty: I can find no difference between the non-US/Canada "International" warranty and the US/Canada "Limited" warranty. Both are 3 year repair-or-replace for defects. You pay to send it in, they pay to send it back. If you register your pen at waterman.com you get an extra 2 years. The dealer "proof of purchase certification stamp" on the warranty paper is a kind of "snobby" thing they stamp on it if you buy it from a fancy pen store. You probably won't get a stamp on your warranty slip if you buy online anyway, but you don't need it - all you need is your purchase receipt for warranty issues. Oddly, repairs are handled in the US/Canada by Newell Rubbermaid (yep, that Rubbermaid).Problems: They're not perfect. I've found 3 things can happen over the years: 1) the oval gold piece on top can come off (just super-glue it back on); 2) if the barrel gets scratched, the scratch will show the brass underneath (appropriately not a warranty issue); 3) the middle ring can come off (tape off the barrel so you don't get glue on it and glue it back on with the very t-i-n-i-e-s-t bit of non-superglue). But I still love 'em.

I have used Waterman pens in the past and I have found them to be fashionable, durable and elegant. I bought this as a gift for a close friend. I like the thicker size which makes it feel substantial even though it is actually fairly lightweight.